1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) output circuits for electronic systems.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Certain electronic systems can be exposed to a transient signal event, or an electrical signal of a relatively short duration having rapidly changing voltage and high power. Transient signal events can include, for example, electrostatic discharge (ESD) events arising from the abrupt release of charge from an object or person to an electronic system.
Transient signal events can damage portions of integrated circuits (ICs) inside an electronic system, such as output driver circuits, due to overvoltage conditions and/or high levels of power dissipation over relatively small areas of the ICs. High power dissipation can increase IC temperature, and can lead to numerous reliability problems, such as gate oxide punch-through, junction damage, metal damage, and/or surface charge accumulation. Moreover, transient signal events can induce latch-up (in other words, inadvertent creation of a low-impedance path), thereby disrupting the functioning of the IC and potentially causing permanent damage to the IC. Thus, there is a need to provide an IC, including output drivers connected to a pin or pad of the IC, with the ability to safely discharge high power transient signal events without impacting the functionality and/or reliability of the IC.